Drmg079, Dragon
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DRAGON
1
Publisher: Mike Cook
Editor-in-Chief: Kim Mohan
Editorial staff: Roger Raupp
Patrick L.. Price
Mary Kirchoff
Roger Moore
Business manager: Mary Parkinson
Subscriptions: Mary Cossman
Layout designer: Kristine L.. Bartyzel
Contributing editor: Ed Greenwood
Magazine in motion
Its often said that in this world, and in
Vol. VIII, No. 5
November 1983
this business, standing still is equivalent
to going backward: In order to keep up
with whats going on around us, we have
to keep changing and growing. So, al-
though this issue of DRAGON® Maga-
zine isnt exactly hopping around in your
hands, it is very much a magazine in
motion. More changes are just around the
corner, and Id like to use this space to
tell you about a couple of them.
SPECIAL ATTRACTION
Wacko World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
TOP SECRET® adventure
National advertising representative:
Robert Dewey
1836 Wagner Road
Glenview IL 60025
Phone (312)998-6237
First, a change that some of you may
have already noticed: Some of the stories
in this issue look different from the rest.
Thats because were working into using,
and getting used to, a new typesetting sys-
tem. By this time next month, we will
have mastered (ha!) the new technology
that now resides in TSRs Graphics Arts
Services department. The result will be a
cleaner, and we hope a more exciting,
look to the design and layout of the
OTHER FEATURES
This issues contributing artists:
Jack Crane
Dave Trampier
The ecology of the treant . . . . . . . . . . . .6
We wooden kid you, wood we?
Steve Swenston
Roger Raupp
Phil Foglio
The Ordeal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
One gaming groups story
DRAGON Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is pub-
lished monthly for a subscription price of $24 per
year by Dragon Publishing, a division of TSR,
Inc. The mailing address of Dragon Publishing
for all material except subscription orders is P.O.
Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147.
Magic resistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
What it is, how it works
magazine.
GEN CON® Miniature Open . . . . . . .21
Color photos of top figures
DRAGON Magazine is available at hobby
stores and bookstores throughout the United
States and Canada, and through a limited
number of overseas outlets. Subscription rates are
as follows: $24 for 12 issues sent to an address in
the U.S. or Canada; $50 U.S. for 12 issues sent via
surface mail or $95 for 12 issues sent via air mail
to any other country. All subscription payments
must be in advance, and should be sent to Dragon
Publishing, P.O. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60690.
Next, a change that we arent hinting
at in this magazine, but which were
promising nonetheless: Beginning either
next issue or the one after that, were
going to give you our readers a
much more important role in determin-
ing the content of DRAGON Magazine.
Instead of just spending a page or so on
letters to the editor, were going to rely on
your opinions and observations to fill a
much larger space, in a yet-to-be-named
Blame it on the gremlins. . . . . . . . . . . .24
Troublemakers for AD&D play
Setting saintly standards . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Characters that deities hold dear
A limited quantity of certain back issues of
DRAGON Magazine can be purchased from the
Dungeon Hobby Shop. (See the list of available
issues printed elsewhere in each magazine.) Pay-
ment in advance by check or money order must
accompany all orders. Payments cannot be made
through a credit card, and orders cannot be taken
nor merchandise reserved by telephone. Neither
an individual customer nor an institution can be
billed for a subscription order or a back-issue
purchase unless prior arrangements are made.
Page Advice II: Getting started . . . . . .50
Four steps to being a designer
column that will serve as a forum for all
of you to exchange ideas and philoso-
phies with each other.
The fights of fantasy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Strategy suggestions for big battles
This new offering wont replace Out
on a Limb, because theres still a need
for that feature as well, to answer ques-
tions about specific points raised, and
specific mistakes made, in articles weve
printed. But the forum will be a much
better vehicle for communicating
thoughts such as those contained in Jona-
than Heiles excellent letter in this issues
Limb column. And, as Jonathan cor-
rectly suggests, providing a forum for
readers thoughts will help make
DRAGON Magazine into more of the
kind of publication you seem to want.
Certainly, you have opinions, lots of em
and on lots of different topics related to
fantasy role-playing and the AD&D sys-
tem. Its high time that we gave those
opinions the publicity and exposure that
they deserve; if you care enough to write
out your feelings and spend good money
to get them to us, we should care enough
to spend some of our precious page space
on getting them in front of the eyes and
into the minds
of the rest of the FRP
community. So, keep those cards and let-
ters coming if you stand still, you
know whatll happen . . . .
Be aware and take care.. . . . . . . . . . . . .60
The keys to adventuring success
The issue of expiration for each subscription is
printed on the mailing label for each subscribers
copy of the magazine. Changes of address for the
delivery of subscriptions must be received at least
six weeks prior to the effective date of the change
in order to insure uninterrupted delivery.
REGULAR OFFERINGS
All material published in DRAGON Magazine
becomes the exclusive property of the publisher
upon publication, unless special arrangements to
the contrary are made prior to publication.
DRAGON Magazine welcomes unsolicited sub-
missions of written material and artwork; how-
ever, no responsibility for such submissions can
be assumed by the publisher in any event. Any
submission which is accompanied by a self-
addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will
be returned if it cannot be published.
Out on a Limb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Letters from readers
Sage Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Clearing up article errors
Gamers Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
DRAGON® is a registered trademark for
Dragon Publishings monthly adventure playing
aid. All rights on the contents of this publication
are reserved, and nothing may be reproduced
from it in whole or in part without prior permis-
sion in writing from the publisher. Copyright ©
1983 by TSR, Inc.
Convention calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Off the Shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
The latest and best in literature
Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva,
Wis., and additional mailing offices.
Wormy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Dragon Publishing, P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva
WI 53147. USPS 318-790. ISSN 0279-6848.
Whats New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
DRAGON, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, ADVANCED D&D,
TOP SECRET, BOOT HILL, and GAMMA WORLD are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
TM designates other trademarks owned by TSR, Inc., unless otherwise indicated.
2
NOVEMBER 1983
hat do an amusement park
and a role-playing adventure
have in common? Obviously,
theyre both designed with
enjoyment in mind. So, it
logically follows that a role-playing
adventure set in an amusement park is
doubly enjoyable. In the hope that all of
you TOP SECRET® players out there
will feel the same way, we present Wacko
World, the first scenario for spies weve
published in about a year and a half.
After youve gone on all the rides and
sampled the Florida Fried Frog at Wacko
World, shift back into fantasy mode to
enjoy the rest of this months issue.
The longest feature article inside is
actually two companion essays. In The
fights of fantasy, veteran author Lew
Pulsipher explains how big-scale battles
in a fantasy world wouldnt work the
same way as they did in medieval days.
Then, on a smaller scope, Lew sets forth
guidelines for how a group of adventurers
should think and act to best assure them-
selves of living to fight another day. Be
aware and take care is the title of this
piece, and that phrase is a pretty good
summation of what the articles about
words to live by, you might say.
For AD&D game tips of a more con-
crete, rules-oriented nature, check out
Scott Bennies description of saints, and
our home-brewed message on magic resis-
tance. The former article is designed, as
Scott says, to fill a gap in the rules: The
AD&D books mention that there are such
things as saints, but not until now have
we seen an attempt to define just what
those characters can and cant do. The
latter article was a collaborative effort by
three TSRians: Penny Petticord, Jon
Pickens, and Roger Moore, with some
final-version fiddling courtesy of yours
truly. Its not official, but until some-
thing else comes along, we hope it will
help answer some questions and clear up
some confusion on the subject.
In our continuing effort to add depth
and detail to the AD&D universe, this
months ecology article talks about the
treant. We dont know if author Susan
Lawson actually talks to trees, but it
would seem that at least she listens.
With a salute to the thousands of our
readers who are in the armed forces, we
somewhat nervously present Gregg
Chamberlains manuscript on gremlins,
those little critters who have been per-
plexing to pilots and nasty to navigators
ever since aerial warfare, so to speak, took
off. Heres hoping that they dont decide
to start making mischief with magazines.
And, as a diversion from our regular
column on unpainted miniatures, we
hope youll like seeing what some first-
class finished figures look like. Its plain
to see that the winners of the GEN CON®
Miniature Open didnt have any gremlins
grabbing their brushes when they turned
out their colorful creations. KM
Theme
of
the game
Dear Editor:
to turn this into a long debate, and second of
all, we have a bit of experience in dealing with
this subject.
We got an avalanche of letters a couple of
years ago, after we printed Brian Blumes essay
on why player characters shouldnt be evil.
Most of the letter writers disagreed with the
viewpoint of the article, sometimes in words
that arent as tame as yours. Now, were all in
favor of freedom of choice and freedom of
opinion. (People in the publishing business
tend to be that way.) But the underlying fact
here which is not an assumption is that
the AD&D game is a game. It has rules that
must be adhered to, in spirit if not in the
literal sense, if the game is to work the way
it was designed. And in fact, from what Ive
been told and been able to learn, the AD&D
rules are designed principally for a world that
pits good players against evil non-player
adversaries. Yes, it is possible to run an evil-
oriented party of player characters but that
is a tribute to the versatility of the rule system,
not a sign of its weakness or an indication that
it should be used that way.
We cant keep people from using the rules in
any way they see fit, and we dont particularly
care how people use the rules, as long as ev-
eryone involved enjoys what theyre doing.
The only assumption we make is that people
are more likely to have a good time if they are
the good guys, and not the guys the good guys
are fighting. KM
I suspect that Lenard Lakofka will draw
quite a bit of mail regarding his comment on
the theme of the AD&D game (Leomunds
Tiny Hut, DRAGON #76). This letter is part
of that mail.
Len, I will say that, in specifics, I agree with
you. I heartily favor those AD&D campaigns
you refer to as well-played. I, too, have
qualms with the assassin player character class,
although for slightly different reasons. I, too,
feel uncomfortable in an evilly aligned party.
But not you, not I, not even TSR Inc., has
the right to say how a group of players should
or should not play. It is the responsibility of
the DM to entertain his or her players. If the
players would enjoy playing an evil-aligned
party, Len Lakofka doesnt like the idea of
evil PCs is not a sufficient reason for the DM
to deny their request. There are enough disad-
vantages for an evil party (such as the weight-
ing of magic items towards good and the know
alignment spell) to offset the benefits of
skullduggery.
AD&D is not set up as far as I can tell,
and you are admittedly in a better position to
say as good player characters against a foul
and evil world. It can be this, and this is the
situation I most enjoy, but it can also be law-
ful characters versus a chaotic world, or evil
player characters wreaking havoc in a good or
neutral world. That is a decision between a
DM and his or her players; if everyone wants to
run an evil party (which, despite your underly-
ing assumptions, can be truly cooperative
between its members), then why not?
Important points
Dear Editor:
The single most important part of issue #76
was Len Lakofkas sermon, which made two
important points: that players should not play
NPC classes, and that players should not be
evil, either in alignment or in deed. I am sick
and tired of greed spoiling an otherwise excel-
lent adventure, or of supposedly good char-
acters killing helpless prisoners and then
claiming they should get experience points.
Keep publishing the excellent articles.
Steve Bibas
Austin, Tex.
However, you are certainly correct in saying
that a death master is inappropriate as a player
characrter. So is the assassin. So are the unoffi-
cial anti-paladin and bounty hunter. Why?
Not because of alignment, but because these
characters are loners. Why should a profes-
sional assassin spend most of his or her time
doing something else? I know of no parties
who constantly need assassins or bounty hunt-
ers. Regarding the death master, why should a
character that can create an army of wights and
ghasts need a fighter ally? In a like vein, I
would find a paladin inappropriate in an evil-
oriented party.
To sum up, I believe you have assumed that
the way you like AD&D to be played, a group
of good guys trashing evil, is the way to play
the game. An individual DM must fall
back in
his or her own decisions, not official word
from others. There can be no buck-passing.
Therefore, I submit that you should not con-
demn those worlds not like your favorites, for
they may be the favorites of others.
Christopher Mortika
St. Louis, Mo.
Missing line
Dear Dragon:
In issue #78 you had a program to calculate
the chi-square values. On line 520 you refer-
enced line 660, but line 660 was not in the
source code. Could you please tell me what
line 660 says?
Bret Bradford
Torrance, Calif.
Christopher, I dont think Len will mind if I
answer on his behalf; first of all, I dont plan
Our apologies to you, Bret. . . and to anyone
else who tried to make the program work the
DRAGON
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